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Residents ask council to explain contract for environmental litigation, press for beach services and trash rules
Summary
During public comment at Ocean City's March 26 meeting residents asked council to pull resolution 26-103 (a professional-services contract tied to a contamination dispute at 14th and West), urged bench and bike-rack installations on beach access streets, and requested stricter trash-setout timing; council agreed to provide explanations after the meeting.
Dave Hayes, an Ocean City landlord, asked the council to pull resolution 26-103 and to have Solicitor McCrosson explain the need for a professional-services contract to Christopher Bryner related to litigation over environmental cleanup at the 14th and West site. Hayes also requested clarification on resolution 26-110, an emergency temporary appropriation that he said lacked a specified purpose in the agenda materials.
Donna Swan DeRocher, a long-time resident, urged the city to install benches at beach-access streets (similar to boardwalk seating) and to add bike racks north of Fifth Street and south of 11th Street to keep bicycles off the boardwalk in narrowed sections. She also asked the council to limit when trash can be placed at curbside — proposing that residents put out material only the night before pickup — to reduce long-standing litter and bulky-item eyesores.
Ed Dickson, a member of local veterans organizations, thanked the council for the proclamation dedicating August to veterans and suggested adding banners to the city's entrances and exits to publicize the observance.
Jonathan Dice criticized the fiscal direction and raised election-year transparency questions, noting the proposed 1.38-cent municipal tax-rate increase and asking about auditing practices and debt levels. He also discussed political organizing and a potential write-in candidacy; the comment was entered on the public record.
What the council did: The consent agenda was moved and approved by roll call; the transcript shows that items 4 and 11 were flagged for explanation and staff indicated those could be addressed after the meeting. No formal objections or votes to pull resolutions 26-103 or 26-110 were recorded in the meeting minutes portion of the transcript.
Follow-up: Staff were asked to provide explanations for the flagged consent-agenda items. The resident requests for additional benches, bike racks, and a trash-setout policy will be forwarded to the appropriate departments for review and response.
